Good people in the Industry

[pridmore]

Lots of negative stuff within this usually dog aet dog industry but there are a few good people, here is a thread to give a few a wrap if ya wanna....
- Craig from Splash Ding Repairs at Brookvale, this guy doesnt know me from a bar of soap but has repaired boards, sent me a new electric planer, and holds boards for customers to pick up for me, sends me GreenStuff wax and shirts and stickers, never will take any coin and just a genuinely good guy....
- Dave and Mark from Smorgasboarder magazine, they are not trying to make dollars, just doing what they love for the enjoymnet and lifestyle, really easy to deal with and great blokes to boot....
- Phil Way, my glasser and the best fin maker I know ofor have ever seen... He knows his fins and is a great craftsman.
I am sure you guys have had some good experiences too and dont think we should only mention the negative ones, give the good blokes a wrap.....

[dUg]

MT & Rick from MCS (in SA) have always been teriffic - just really generous with info and time, honest hard working surfer / shapers.

Jimmy the local Sunnova / Stick it! rep is one of the good guys too - ethical and excellent customer service, all round nice guy who knows about the evils of the biz but chooses not to get involved.

MP and JD for their old school stoke about their work.

Glen "Nasty" Duncan who bashed out half a dozen unrool boards for me and never asked for a cent, only occasional computer and website maintenance.

[bohdidontsurf]

I second that re JD. He will be embarrassed by this but I now have 3 JD's and feel stoked that I found him via this site...humble, a great craftsman and artist and just a top bloke to deal with...kind of bloke you want to go and have surf with....

[Yuke Hunt]

David Parkes ... kneeboard surfer and shaper extraordinaire ... and one of the most down to earth blokes you could ever meet ... oh yeah he's also Garretts old man.

Billy Tolhurst ... great boards ... great guy.

Paul and Sage Joske ... Valla Surfboards ... craftsmen and gentlemen.

Here's a nice story ... My wife was surfing her longboard at a local point ... one particular guy kept constantly paddling inside and snaking her ... she was becoming increasingly yet quietly frustrated ... after a while another surfer gently informed this pest that his behaviour was detrimental to the lady enjoying the surf and maybe he could be a little more compassionate and not try and take every wave ... the advice was taken and wifey got to enjoy the waves.
A couple of months later I was talking to Sage at the Ally fish fry ... a little while later wifey enquired as to whom I had been speaking ... I told her ... and she said "thats the guy who told the other guy in the surf to stop being a dick and share the waves".

[scod]

Chris Goulding

Grant Miller

[chrisb]

Nat Young

[SDC]

Generally, most of the people that I do business with are pretty fair dinkum, I've come across a few questionable ones, but they are few and far between.

[Natho]

Nick Blair (Joistick Surfboards) on the Goldy. Great customer service, great knowledge and shaped me an awesome board. Will be giving him more business. One of the few in the surf industry Ive experienced that does reply quickly to emails, and without the Yeeew, froth froth and other B$h!t you often get with the surf industry. The quality of his shapes won me over first, but his customer service and knowlege will have me coming back.

[pridmore]

oh yeah, Ian from SurfDecals has been great to deal with, even sent me some freebies and samples too, easy to deal with, always send his stuff quickly ...never met him face to face yet, but sure we will catch up one day.....

[gibber]

I agree with "scod", Chris is a top bloke!
Also,
The dude who shapes Elixir's, seems like a pretty decent bloke!

[Trev]

Also,
The dude who shapes Elixir's, seems like a pretty decent bloke!

But he's a tiger in the surf................

[SDC]

Yeah, Tim, Mark and Josh I give Kudos to, as they are some of the guys who generally froth on all things surfing and are willing to experiment with various shapes and methods of construction.

I deal with a lot, if not most of the shapers in the country, and they're a pretty good bunch to do business with, from the young backyarders to the guys who are the stalwarts of the industry. Most are always willing to have a chat about surfboards, methods and the general state of the industry, and it's interesting to hear some of the stories on the way things were, and how things are progressing in this current economic climate and the continuing threat of cheap overseas supplied boards.

Most produce boards to a pretty high standard as Aussie shapers and techniques are well sought after around the world.

Support your local Australian Shaper and keep our industry alive!

[diggerdickson]

mp, shaped me my first quad and is more than happy at any time to talk, great guy and you can see his stoke

Huei, a ledge indeed, his missus is even better, lol. He has helped me so much its not funny and has so much knowledge that it will be a shame when he stops shaping, a lot will be lost. One day I will see if I can get a board from him, but I cant believe how humble the man is, onya Huei.

John Gilles, very decent bloke.

Yorky, he has given me some advice on my sons board and is a guy who just loves his work, you can see it, its written all over him. I wish him all the best on the sunshine coast and he truly deserves to kill it up here.

Elixer, dont know who shapes those boards but they seem like nice shapes and Ive heard he seems to be very open to talk to, dont know if this is true or not though

[SDC]

John Gilles, very decent bloke.

- mate, that is an understatement!!!! John is an absolute legend in this industry, from designing and constructing one of the first cutting machines which is still in use today, to being one of the leaders in resin and epoxy research amongst other stuff and is a very humble bloke to boot.

He's certiainly helped me out, for which I am eternally thankful.

Yeah, Digger, that's a good call including John in your list amongst guys like Yorky, who's doing some really good stuff up on the Sunny Coast also.

[diggerdickson]

Yes, I would call John a friend and I try to visit him at least every once in a while to see how he is. He has a nice set up and if you have seen his work on a fin system he has been devoloping would blow your mind, much lighter and stronger than anything I have ever seen but how do you compete with the big boys without getting eaten up.

John has also designed and made all sorts of watercraft, not just surfboards. I got his dvd on his epoxy resign he devoloped and one day would like to try using it, but thats down the track.

Nice bloke, very underrated, and I think he likes it that way, dont know many people like him, certianly deserves any accolades that come his way and he never looks or expects it.

[mustkillmulloway]

i don't want bring this thread down or nothin but there is a huge diff between a good bloke and someones who is good do bussiness with

mr dahlberg is a case in point...top bloke, best shaper in australia but waiting 6 months for a custom thats always going be " ready next week" is a pisser

as far as merchant and young go.....i can only assume u never surfed with the drop in c.unts

but...there is another topic for bitching so i degress

mark pridmore you have always been great deal with in pursuit boards , friendly and putting in heaps effort get the board both right and on time

The laminators in mona vale have always been both fun and proffesional in my dealings

Burford blanks.....again.....never use muck any my orders around....use go out there way provide me with a better blank than anywhere else

ummmm......i should mention shotgun...they are great in noosa.....and i'm still saying that after a bit falling out....good boards, good deal with...i just got a mouthfull trying buy cloth for digger, can't blame em....another backyarder taking there sales in their eyes i guess

impact surf in the junction are great so are the duke street crew at solace in sunshine beach

really in the surf industrys heaps good blokes.....but please.....some u guys reek of blind hero worship here

finger pointed at you regerald

p.s huie....cranky old coot at times...but nothing he wouldn't help u out with , really, i don't care if his cranky.....so long he makes me and daughter awesome shredin sleds it's fine

[mustkillmulloway]

The dude who shapes Elixir's, seems like a pretty decent bloke!

i better second that or no more outside fishing invites

he makes a great board.....but i need show him how hook up too marlin

[oldman]

Nice work prids.

Truth is, that most of the people I have met who are in for the sheer love of the surf are such good people, real high quality characters, and I tells ya truly I am a really tough marker in that department.

As soon as you hear one of **** saying things like 'target audience', 'stakeholders', 'mission statement', 'brand positioning' and shite like that, please kick them in the nuts on behalf of every decent bloke who tries to struggle out an existence in the industry. These people are not surfers.